You found one of those “how to set up WordPress” aka “start a blog” primers? Then you clicked through it?
Welcome, you noob! This is a guide for novices like you!
You want to learn how to blog? Excellent! You’re in the right place.
It’s not just for starters! Plus there is nothing wrong with being a beginner!
In Zen meditation “beginner’s mind” is something to nurture. Why?
The less you consider yourself an expert the more open minded you are!
Writing is the most difficult part of actual blogging. Why?
Blogging and conventional writing are not the same!
So what is blog writing really about? Shut up and learn!
Blogging and writing is not the same?
Spoiler alert: no, it isn’t!
Beginners often don’t get it!
Yet the differences between websites and blogs are Captain Obvious.
Especially news sites and blogs differ like night and day. So bring on the light!
You can have a WordPress based website posting the latest news daily and it still won’t be a blog.
How to blog then to really make your WordPress publication a genuine blog?
That’s easy even for beginners! How? Once you acknowledge what it means.
Then you can embody these writing traits that define blogging.
Blog writing traits that define blogging
The writing is what makes the “great content” actually stand out like a sore thumb!
Most writing does not work on blogs. It sucks! Why? It’s
- bland
- dull
- soulless!
With the tsunami of regurgitated CrapGPT (Gross Plagiarism Technology) content it’s unbearable!
You can even define blogging by the type of writing you publish.
A blog needs to be…
Recognizable
There are millions of blogs.
How do you stand out among those amorphous masses?
Nah. I don’t mean amour fous!
Is your blog recognizable and memorable?
Let’s start with this blog here.
Is it “just another generic SEO blog?
What character does the seo2.blog have? It’s
I don’t care whether everybody does feel the same about it. I do!
At least these were the first 5 things that came to my mind.
Do you have some adjectives to describe your blog?
When you don’t or they sound more like “average, just another WordPress blog, bleak” you should change something.
A blog needs a distinctive character!
Use a recognizable tone of voice.
It’s not necessarily the character of the blogger. SEO 2 is just part of me.
Subjective
Are you God?
Yes, we all are in a sense. After all God is omnipresent.
Yet we’re also individuals and unique.
What is the unique point of view you have and no one else?
The blog writer should always write what s/he thinks.
Not what a company thinks (it does not in the first place).
It’s what you, the blogger do like or dislike.
Only God is objective.
Thus embrace your subjectivity and write from your own point of view. Express your opinions.
Do not write as if you know everything.
When you try to sound objective you end up sounding like a bot.
Corporate lingo often sounds like this. Focus on your unique point of view.
Imperfect
A blogger is a human being, thus imperfect and that’s fine.
You are perfect the way you are, with all your perceived flaws!
When you blog quickly and thus you often make mistakes.
Don’t be afraid to be quick and dirty!
That’s fine too as long as you react to people who point out issues and you correct the mistakes you made.
When your blog sounds as if a whole PR department has worked a night to devise a posting you should rather write press releases.
A blog thrives with imperfection.
Non-commercial
Sure, blogs, especially corporate and business blogs often cover business.
There is also nothing wrong with “making money blogging”.
Yet the nature of the blog or the blog posts themselves is non-commercial.
The blog post itself can’t be a sales pitch.
When you want to sell something, even in a blog post, the article must contain something useful for the reader.
Blogs are not promotional. That’s advertising.
Actual content provides value by itself. Do you get the difference?
Personal
People read most blogs because they like the person behind them or the team when it’s a group blog.
They appreciate the people behind the words.
There are plenty of “blogs” where a bunch of no-name badly underpaid editors fill WordPress sites with content.
This is not blogging.
When you can’t recognize or imagine a person behind a blog it’s not a blog, it’s a news source at best.
A blog needs a personal voice.
A post written by “Admin” is in instant put off.
Make sure to be yourself not just a drone without personality.
Ever since E-E-A-T even Google requires real recognizable human beings with first hand experience.
Critical
When you applaud just about everything nobody will trust you.
This applies also in case you ignore everything that’s negative.
Even self improvement blogs will deal with negative aspects of life.
You do not have to negate yourself but yo can’t sweep everything under the rug.
You need a critical approach to things.
Tell people when something’s wrong. Don’t be afraid to show your vulnerability. That makes you human!
Informal
Corporate bloggers assume that starting a sentence with “and” is a conversational tone.
- Humor
- colloquial expressions
- or off-topic postings
are a significant part of blogging.
Without them your blog becomes an official website.
A blog has to be be informal to some point. It’s not a brochure!
Or it should be 10% informal so that it does not get too sloppy.
Nonetheless blogs are informal and not 100% earnest. Do not just talk business all the time.
So make sure to inform Al! Who is Al? Did you mean AI?
Damn, that wasn’t funny. I tried though! I hope I could make the point.
Want to learn how writing for blogs differs?
OK. Long story short: I bet I forgot some other important traits of writing for blogs.
Do you want to add more writing traits of real blogs?
Suggest them on social media! I’m onreact almost everywhere.
We all started as beginners once. It’s nothing to be ashamed of! You can also ask questions below.
Everybody makes some noob poop!
Yet we can also schedule a private one to one consultation.
That’s actually what I do a for a living besides blogging myself.
You can learn how to blog as well!
It’s much easier when someone like me explains it for you.
Let me be your mentor!
Someone who has more than 25 years experience — 20+ years of blogging among it — can truly help you.
